A newly surfaced video appears to capture the harrowing moment a United Airlines flight narrowly avoided disaster as it landed at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday. The footage, widely shared on social media but not yet officially confirmed by authorities, shows United flight 169 descending toward Runway 29 and coming dangerously close to a semi-truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Incident Details
The aircraft, carrying 231 people including pilots and crew, struck a light pole and the truck’s trailer during its approach. The pole then hit a Jeep, whose driver escaped uninjured. The truck’s driver, Warren Boardley, 39, was taken to hospital with minor cuts from shattered glass and later discharged. He was delivering bakery goods to a depot near the airport when the incident occurred.
“The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured,” United Airlines stated. “Our maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft. We will conduct a rigorous flight safety investigation into the incident and our crew has been removed from service as part of the process.”
Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation, with investigators arriving in Newark on Monday. “The investigation will examine multiple factors, including flight operations, meteorological conditions, human performance, crew resource management, aircraft performance and air traffic control,” the agency said. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
Unconfirmed air traffic controller audio suggests the plane may have sustained a hole in its side. The truck’s cab was left with a hole and a shattered windshield.
Expert Commentary
Aviation experts highlight the complexity of Newark’s approach, particularly Runway 29, which at 6,726 feet is the airport’s shortest. “It’s one of the most challenging approaches in the world. The margin of error is extremely low,” said safety expert Steve Arroyo, a former United pilot.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident “unacceptable,” adding, “We have really well-trained pilots. This should never happen in America, but incidents like this are studied and learned from.”
Context of Recent Air Incidents
Sunday’s near-miss follows a series of recent aviation disasters, including a March runway collision between an Air Canada jet and a truck at LaGuardia Airport that killed two, and a 2025 collision between a military helicopter and a commercial jet near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
